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Best states for a contract project manager
Quoted expert
Lisa Noble
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
It seems like contract project managers are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for contract project managers aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for contract project manager jobs.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for contract project managers.If you are currently seeking employment as a contract project manager, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for contract project managers in 2025
1. Massachusetts
Total contract project manager jobs: 1,886 Average annual salary: $105,011 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
2. Washington
Total contract project manager jobs: 2,298 Average annual salary: $100,097 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 1.68
3. California
Total contract project manager jobs: 7,364 Average annual salary: $101,704 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
4. Connecticut
Total contract project manager jobs: 613 Average annual salary: $104,379 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
5. Oregon
Total contract project manager jobs: 983 Average annual salary: $97,241 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $154,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
6. Montana
Total contract project manager jobs: 233 Average annual salary: $93,755 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
7. Utah
Total contract project manager jobs: 689 Average annual salary: $91,473 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
8. Idaho
Total contract project manager jobs: 273 Average annual salary: $95,508 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
9. New Mexico
Total contract project manager jobs: 332 Average annual salary: $94,812 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
10. New York
Total contract project manager jobs: 2,382 Average annual salary: $97,315 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
Contract project manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a contract project manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a contract project manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $105,011 | $69,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,886 |
| 2 | Washington | $100,097 | $63,000 | 7,405,743 | 2,298 |
| 3 | California | $101,704 | $64,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,364 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $104,379 | $69,000 | 3,588,184 | 613 |
| 5 | Oregon | $97,241 | $61,000 | 4,142,776 | 983 |
| 6 | Montana | $93,755 | $62,000 | 1,050,493 | 233 |
| 7 | Utah | $91,473 | $59,000 | 3,101,833 | 689 |
| 8 | Idaho | $95,508 | $61,000 | 1,716,943 | 273 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $94,812 | $60,000 | 2,088,070 | 332 |
| 10 | New York | $97,315 | $64,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,382 |
| 11 | Virginia | $90,659 | $57,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,351 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $88,733 | $57,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,041 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $96,135 | $61,000 | 1,815,857 | 177 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $93,803 | $61,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,410 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $87,587 | $58,000 | 1,059,639 | 242 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $87,215 | $56,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,165 |
| 17 | Maryland | $88,957 | $57,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,451 |
| 18 | Michigan | $88,489 | $57,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,155 |
| 19 | Illinois | $91,660 | $59,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,890 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $90,279 | $59,000 | 1,342,795 | 279 |
| 21 | Maine | $90,156 | $59,000 | 1,335,907 | 194 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $84,309 | $56,000 | 755,393 | 186 |
| 23 | Arizona | $85,669 | $54,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,094 |
| 24 | Nevada | $83,643 | $53,000 | 2,998,039 | 355 |
| 25 | Ohio | $83,100 | $53,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,694 |
| 26 | Vermont | $80,840 | $53,000 | 623,657 | 157 |
| 27 | Delaware | $81,750 | $53,000 | 961,939 | 242 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $76,710 | $47,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,954 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $74,246 | $49,000 | 579,315 | 138 |
| 30 | Colorado | $82,956 | $54,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,073 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $83,886 | $55,000 | 869,666 | 127 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $77,742 | $58,000 | 1,427,538 | 200 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $76,099 | $48,000 | 693,972 | 810 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $78,169 | $51,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,180 |
| 35 | Texas | $72,530 | $44,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,086 |
| 36 | Kansas | $77,875 | $50,000 | 2,913,123 | 426 |
| 37 | Indiana | $74,880 | $48,000 | 6,666,818 | 875 |
| 38 | Georgia | $73,383 | $44,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,520 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $67,992 | $42,000 | 6,715,984 | 984 |
| 40 | Alaska | $64,449 | $46,000 | 739,795 | 165 |
| 41 | Iowa | $71,541 | $46,000 | 3,145,711 | 468 |
| 42 | Missouri | $69,681 | $45,000 | 6,113,532 | 828 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $69,635 | $44,000 | 3,930,864 | 332 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $64,047 | $42,000 | 1,920,076 | 356 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $67,544 | $40,000 | 5,024,369 | 555 |
| 46 | Florida | $64,655 | $37,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,403 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $66,522 | $42,000 | 4,454,189 | 445 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $62,130 | $39,000 | 3,004,279 | 361 |
| 49 | Alabama | $62,176 | $38,000 | 4,874,747 | 575 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $64,686 | $38,000 | 4,684,333 | 342 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $61,197 | $37,000 | 2,984,100 | 196 |
Highest paying states for contract project managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Contract Project Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $105,011 |
| 2 | Washington | $100,097 |
| 3 | California | $101,704 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $104,379 |
| 5 | Oregon | $97,241 |
| 6 | Montana | $93,755 |
| 7 | Utah | $91,473 |
| 8 | Idaho | $95,508 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $94,812 |
| 10 | New York | $97,315 |
| 11 | Virginia | $90,659 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $88,733 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $96,135 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $93,803 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $87,587 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $87,215 |
| 17 | Maryland | $88,957 |
| 18 | Michigan | $88,489 |
| 19 | Illinois | $91,660 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $90,279 |
| 21 | Maine | $90,156 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $84,309 |
| 23 | Arizona | $85,669 |
| 24 | Nevada | $83,643 |
| 25 | Ohio | $83,100 |
| 26 | Vermont | $80,840 |
| 27 | Delaware | $81,750 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $76,710 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $74,246 |
| 30 | Colorado | $82,956 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $83,886 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $77,742 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $76,099 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $78,169 |
| 35 | Texas | $72,530 |
| 36 | Kansas | $77,875 |
| 37 | Indiana | $74,880 |
| 38 | Georgia | $73,383 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $67,992 |
| 40 | Alaska | $64,449 |
| 41 | Iowa | $71,541 |
| 42 | Missouri | $69,681 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $69,635 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $64,047 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $67,544 |
| 46 | Florida | $64,655 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $66,522 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $62,130 |
| 49 | Alabama | $62,176 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $64,686 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $61,197 |
Expert opinions on the best states for contract project managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for contract project managers to find work opportunities?
Lisa Noble
Director of Employer Engagement and Entrepreneurship and DavisConnects Advisor for Consulting, Colby College
With remote work likely to remain a primary way of doing business, and a fraction of the workforce returning to the office, it's expected that geography won't matter as much for new graduates as it has in the past. We are seeing more young alumni heading to less dense geographies, where there are exciting tech hubs and mountains for outdoor recreation. Jackson Hole, Park City, and Denver are beginning to overtake San Francisco and Seattle as attractive destinations for their relative affordability and quality of life. Increasingly, COVID has made everyone crave wide open spaces, after months of confinement in small apartments in big cities.
If the class of 2020 is any indication, the technology industry will likely continue to be a significant employer of graduates of all majors, followed by business, then education. We see many of our alumni in the humanities in non-coding roles in technology like UX Design, social media marketing, Customer Experience, product management, sales, marketing, employee engagement, and recruiting.
In this economic climate, where traditional media (book publishing, broadcast and print journalism, advertising) have frozen hiring, we are seeing our English majors exploring roles in business and corporate communications, investor relations, brand management, learning and development, and more.
Contract project manager best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025